Four Signs You’re a Workaholic

Are you addicted to work? Do you work through your lunch hour every single day? Think about work (and even worse, stress out about it) on a Saturday morning? This workaholic piece on U.S. News & World Report resonated with us.

We’re the first to admit as Americans we’re pretty much defined by what we do for a living when the first question at a cocktail party is usually, “What do you do?” This is particularly stark when people from other cultures may first ask, “How are you?”

That said, even though our culture tends to be work-centric, we shouldn’t let work define us and devour our lives. Do any of the following scenarios indicated in the U.S. News piece sound familiar?

1. You’re the first one to arrive, the last one to leave. As pointed out in the piece, sure, we all need some quiet time to focus but if you start arriving early and staying late during the same day, it’s time to question yourself. Overtime should not be consistent nor should the candle be burned at both ends.

2. You don’t have real hobbies. Jada A. Graves writes: “If when asked what you do for fun, you respond, ‘I like to read’—when what you read are reports for work—or ‘I like to work out’—when you read work reports while running on the treadmill—it’s time to reevaluate. Answering ‘I like to work’ also doesn’t cut it. You need to find some hobbies that don’t involve what you do from 9 to 5.”

3. You disparage other people’s priorities. As in real priorities. If someone in the office makes fun of a co-worker who’s enjoying vacation (in case you’re wondering, that “someone” may just mean we’re looking at you), that could definitely mean you’re a workaholic. Here’s why: per the piece, workaholism entails lacking self-care and devotion to one’s family so it could be downright perplexing to appreciate others who value it.

4. You don’t take a real vacation. If that personal time goes unused or even worse, you take it and you check emails on the beach, we’re concerned. Truly. The piece mentions, “Vacations are good for your health, your psyche and your productivity.” Just think if you took a break how it could really boost your morale and productivity once you return to the office.

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